Onikira: Demon Killer

About

Onikira: Demon Killer is a side-scrolling beat 'em up game set in feudal Japan, where you play as a lone samurai named Yamazaki Jiro, fighting to prevent the Japanese underworld from consuming the land of the living. The game features deep fighting mechanics combined with classic 2D platforming, allowing for varied combat styles, including heavy melee and ranged approaches. Use the environment to your advantage and switch weapons on the fly to execute impressive combos.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

39%

Audience ScoreBased on 203 reviews

graphics33 positive mentions

stability22 negative mentions

The game features a visually appealing art style with dark, atmospheric graphics that enhance the overall experience.
Combat mechanics are engaging, allowing for fluid combos and a variety of weapons that keep gameplay interesting.
The game has potential for a compelling story set in a feudal Japan with elements of folklore and mythology.

The game is plagued by numerous bugs and glitches, including crashes and issues with saving progress.
Controls can be unresponsive and confusing, particularly for players using a keyboard instead of a controller.
The gameplay can feel repetitive and lacks depth, with many enemies behaving similarly and limited strategic options.

graphics
65 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
45%
5%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the unique art style and vibrant visuals, while others criticize the overall quality as dull or reminiscent of older systems. Technical issues, such as glitches and lack of advanced graphics options, detract from the experience, but the hand-painted artwork and appealing design elements are frequently highlighted as standout features. Overall, while the visuals are appreciated by some, they are marred by bugs and a lack of sharpness, leading to a divided opinion among players.
- “The graphics are stunning.”
- “The beautiful artwork and menacing demons make the game pleasing to look at.”
- “The frantic gameplay and clean but effective artwork is really well done and makes the game nice to play.”
- “We're not gaming on potatoes, so why do we still get NES-level graphics?”
- “Firstly, I find the graphics dull and bland.”
- “The graphics options are bare bones.”
gameplay
61 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
56%
10%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players enjoying the smooth mechanics and engaging combat reminiscent of titles like "Devil May Cry" and "Ninja Gaiden," while others criticize it for being repetitive, clunky, and plagued by technical issues such as bugs and crashes. Despite its appealing art style and soundtrack, many feel that the gameplay lacks polish and can be frustrating due to unresponsive controls and a dull combat system. Overall, while some players find it fun and promising, others recommend caution due to its rough edges and inconsistencies.
- “The gameplay is very tight and the graphics are amazing.”
- “The gameplay itself takes cues from only the greatest of action games with a grading system strongly resembling Devil May Cry's, insane almost endless aerial combos reminiscent of Bayonetta, and brightly colored red and blue orbs for replenishing your health or energy that fans of the Onimusha series will be familiar with.”
- “One of the best 2D side-scrolling games I've ever played; it has everything: fun gameplay, cool enemy design, and good level design... highly recommended!”
- “Movement mechanics have no momentum, which makes everything feel very sluggish.”
- “Clunky controls, auto-hit mechanics, cliché story, and a boring combat system is what this game seems to be made of. Visuals are nice for the fact it's indie; however, I cannot recommend this game when there are much better combat-based indie games out there.”
- “Overall, the gameplay feels very unpolished and lacking.”
music
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
53%
9%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its fitting and energetic qualities that enhance the gameplay experience, while others find it repetitive and uninspiring. Many appreciate the sound effects as crisp and effective, but some feel that the absence of voice-overs detracts from the overall immersion. Overall, while the soundtrack has its fans, it appears to lack memorability for a significant portion of the player base.
- “The beautiful hand-painted art style, its frenetic thumping soundtrack, and most crucially, the superbly diverse combat encounters all add up to an amazing gaming experience.”
- “The music fits the tones of each scene and fight.”
- “When I hear the evil and ominous melodies in Onikira with their eastern overtones, I am instantly reminded of some of the best music from Mortal Kombat, particularly from the 3 and 4 era, and this is a very good thing when it comes to the subject matter dealt with in such a game.”
- “Clunky controls, floaty protagonist and monsters, awkward combat, weird hitboxes, boring music--in short, a mediocre game in most respects.”
- “The music is repetitive and does not stand out to me while playing the game whatsoever.”
- “I stopped playing the game about five minutes ago and already cannot remember any music or sound besides the *shing* of the slashing blade.”
story
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
59%
16%
The story of the game is generally viewed as clichéd and lacking depth, often described as a typical "feudal Japan fantasy" involving demons and a hero's journey. While some players appreciate the presentation and art direction, many criticize the storytelling for being basic and unengaging, with a need for more originality and polish to elevate the overall experience. Despite its shortcomings, a few players find the story enjoyable enough to complement the gameplay and visuals.
- “The story is your typical 'feudal Japan fantasy' featured in so many movies: demons come to the earth, someone with magic slays the demons, they come back stronger than ever centuries later, the player starts a journey to slay them.”
- “At first I thought it's a good game for leisure time, but after I tried it I found it more than a good game; it contains a very good story, great music, and awesome gameplay with impressive graphics.”
- “The story isn't anything special, but it is presented nicely with its interesting setting, art direction, and good voice acting.”
- “That's bad storytelling.”
- “The story of the game is that a man fuses his soul with a dragon giving him power, but I can't get invested in a plot that is cliché as hell. It needs something to stand out and grab the player.”
- “The story is your typical 'feudal Japan fantasy' featured in so many movies: demons come to the earth, someone with magic slays the demons, they come back stronger than ever centuries later, and the player starts a journey to slay them.”
stability
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous users reporting persistent glitches, crashes, and achievement issues that detract significantly from the overall experience. While some players note improvements since its initial release, many still find it feels unfinished and buggy, leading to frustration and a sense of abandonment by the developers. Overall, the game's stability issues are a major concern, impacting enjoyment and gameplay.
- “The biggest thing that I find will infuriate a lot of people will be the glitches with the achievements because I believe I have a couple of locked achievements I'm almost certain I did, but they never unlocked.”
- “The developers abandoned the game in a buggy/broken state yet leave it on Steam for $20.”
- “It seems as though they still rushed the game towards the end as from day 1 of the game I’ve been reporting the same errors and bugs and they have seemingly progressed from minor glitches to major game-breaking crashes.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
17%
67%
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with players reporting choppy framerates, significant stuttering, and poorly designed checkpoints that contribute to frustration. While some enjoy the gameplay, many agree that performance issues, particularly with controller support and atmospheric effects, detract from the overall experience. Overall, there is a consensus that the game requires substantial optimization improvements.
- “They can still do optimization, and I think they should try some different keyboard bindings.”
- “Yet the game is unoptimized and runs with a choppy framerate. Checkpoints are awfully designed, making the game even more frustrating than just the unresponsive menus and character.”
- “However, I have never played a game with such terrible optimization before this.”
- “- I don't have a monster PC, but even running this at 1080p took its toll. There was lots of stuttering, which I'd attribute to the atmospheric effects that are a little overdone here and there.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The atmosphere of the game is praised for its immersive and visually striking qualities, evoking a strong Japanese aesthetic reminiscent of anime, particularly in styles like Afro Samurai. However, some players note that the atmospheric effects can be overly intense, leading to performance issues such as stuttering, even on lower-end PCs.
- “Good atmosphere.”
- “More visual glory and atmosphere.”
- “Great game, real Japanese atmosphere, anime-like feeling (Afro Samurai style).”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by a mix of humor and warmth, as users appreciate the lightheartedness of the program's crash message. Additionally, the challenges in Arena evoke a sense of achievement and satisfaction, contributing to an engaging and emotionally rewarding experience.
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
150%
The game's replayability is rated at 7.5, indicating a solid level of engagement that encourages players to return for multiple playthroughs. Factors contributing to this include varied gameplay options and the potential for different outcomes, though some players feel that certain elements may become repetitive over time. Overall, it offers a satisfying experience that can be enjoyed repeatedly.
- “The game offers a variety of choices that significantly alter the storyline, making each playthrough feel fresh and engaging.”
- “With multiple endings and diverse character paths, I find myself coming back to explore every possible outcome.”
- “The random events and procedural generation keep the gameplay exciting, ensuring that no two runs are ever the same.”
- “The game lacks significant changes in gameplay mechanics, making it feel repetitive after the first playthrough.”
- “Once you complete the main story, there isn't much incentive to dive back in; the side quests feel like filler.”
- “While the initial experience is enjoyable, the lack of varied outcomes or branching paths means there's little reason to replay.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find humor in the game, particularly noting that the most amusing aspect occurs during the starting screen, where they can practice their moves in a surprisingly entertaining way.
- “The funniest part of this game is that the smoothest gameplay moment actually happens on the starting screen, where you can practice your moves.”
- “The humor in this game is cleverly woven into the dialogue, making even the most serious moments light-hearted.”
- “I love how the game uses absurd situations to create hilarious outcomes that keep me laughing throughout my playthrough.”